The U-2 Spy Incident: A Very Short History - James K. Wheaton

As the Cold War grew in intensity, the mutual distrust between the United States and Soviet Union only grew with it. In 1954, the Soviet Union successfully demonstrated a thermonuclear bomb and a suitable delivery system via the jet-powered Bison bomber. American nerves were certainly rattled and President Eisenhower was informed by the Technological Capabilities Panel that it would take yet another half a decade to develop spy satellites capable of photographing Soviet facilities deep inside Soviet territory. In addition, at the time, there were no suitable reconnaissance aircraft that could be operated against the Soviet Union. Hence, the only option for United States was to develop a new high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft. Eisenhower did not hesitate and in late 1954, he gave his approval for the AQUATONE project. This would allow the CIA to develop and deploy long-range, high altitude reconnaissance aircraft beyond the reach of Soviet air defenses with the president's personal approval.

The following year, in 1955, growing tensions prompted President Eisenhower of the United States to propose an "Open Skies" Agreement, which would allow the US and the Soviet Union to conduct surveillance flights over each other's territory in order to verify and reassure each country that neither was preparing to attack the other. The Soviet Union was highly suspicious of the proposal and rejected it.

This book is a very brief article about the project and politics behind the now notorious U-2 Spying incident.

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